Portable container combination



m-mm Dec. 22, 1953 J. H- KUHNS PORTABLE CONTAINER COMBINATION Filed May 21, 1951 INVENTOR Jnzes HKukItS.

Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFlCE PQRTABLE CONTAINER COMBINATIGN James H. Kuhns, Winfield, Kans.

Application May 21, 1951, Serial No. 227,437 3 Claims. (Cl. 190-12) My present invention relates to a portable unit having utility as a camp kit, a table and container combination, a field desk, a portable food safe, a portable cabinet for holding field radio, telephone or radar equipment and other like uses.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved portable unit with novel supporting and carrying means, whereby the same may be readily and rapidly set up for use as a container, table, desk or the like with a minimum or" effort.

' Another object is to provide a container having handles convertible into supporting legs adapted to drop and be locked into position by gravity.

Still another object is to provide novel lock means for holding the legs of the unit in extended container supporting position until manually released.

A further object is to provide in combination with an insulated cabinet formed with bottom and side walls and a removable top portion, a pair of pivoted side panels adapted to be swung from an inactive substantially parallel position with respect to the side walls of the cabinet into a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the side walls and in alignment with the top rim of the container and its removable top portion, to thereby form an extended surface for use as a desk, table or the like.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the invention is fully understood, the same resides in the novelty of construction, combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described in detail and distinctly claimed in the appended claims.

The description should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my-invention illustrated in folded condition to be carried by the combined supports and carrying handles,

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the unit unfolded and set up for use.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 3-4 oi Figure 2. H p

In the drawings in which like characters of reference designate like or similar elements, Figure 2 shows a main body or cabinet portion A open at the top and having'a double bottom wall and double end and side walls, i 5-! i and l2i2, respectively, sealed to form an air spacev C, .see Figure 3. The oppositeendrwallsll i-H of the container at opposite positions adjacent the top rim it of each end wall have pivoted thereto by sets of headed pins i ii's;- l5i5 or the'like, extended or" the cabinet A and in the upper corner apertured ears iii-i6 and I'i-i'i formed from side panels 18 and I9, respectively. The peripheral transverse edges Zil and 2!, respectively, of the side panels [3 and is are thus set back from the pivot axis in alignment with the opposite pivot pins l ii i and 15-45 of each of their respective panels and when the panels are in folded down position this set back or offset arrangement permits the side flanges of the panels to fit flush against the side walls and embrace the adjacent vertical corner edges of the cabinet A.

The open top rim l3 of the cabinet A at the top of each side wall is preferably formed with a rounded surface 22 as shown in Figure 1. This rounded surface permits smooth and unimpeded movement of the panels iii and E9 to and from their respective side extended or their folded positions. The panels !8 and iii are provided with a brace 23 and 25, respectively, connected to a flange of each panel and a headed pin mounted intermediate the side edge of at least one end wall of the cabinet A. Each brace is formed of two links 25 and 2&3 pivoted together on a pin 2i, so as to permit the panels to be swung up or down with respect to the side walls 12-42 of the cabinet.

Arranged to fit in fiush alignment with the top surfaces of the side panels when extended and the top rim or" the container is a sectional top or cover 253. The cover may be made in half sections as and til separated by a transverse hinge 3! to provide for equal utility of the cabinet from either end thereof.

Each cabinet end Wall ii is formed with openings adjacent each bottom vertical edge and ar' ranged in alignment with each other to receive oppositely disposed inwardly directed heads or pivot studs 32 and 33 formed from U -shaped members 3:; and 35, respectively. These U- shaped members serve a dual purpose, that is, when pivoted upwardl into the position shown in Figure 1, they serve as carrying handles and when pivoted downwardly into the position shown in Figure 2, they serve as supports or legs. Each U-znember includes an angular oppositely directed offset portion 36, 35 at the closed end thereof and when in the handle position the loops 36, 35 come together over the top center of the cabinet, while when the members are in the supporting position the loops 35, 35' diverge to proride for greater stability. To provide for an improved hand gripping area the end loops of each member i i and 35 are bent in slightly at 3?, see Figure l.

Coacting with each U-shaped member 34 and 35 are oppositely spaced fiat surfaced stop lugs 38 and 39 mounted in each lower corner adjacent the bottom of each end wall H and a pair of U- shaped locking bails 40 and 4|. Each locking bail is pivoted on aligned pins in the opposite intermediate bottom surface of the side walls I 2|2 and is so shaped and proportioned with respect to the cabinet walls and the ends of the members 34 and 35 as to surround a portion of each side wall 12 and an end wall I just beyond the extent of the fiat surfaced lugs 38 and 39 on each end wall. Thus when the U-members 34 and 35 are in supporting position against the fiat surface of each lug and the locking bails 49 and 4| are dropped down over the end walls the legs 42 of the bails adjacent each closed end thereof frictionally slide along the ends of the respective members 34 and 35 and lock the same against the flat surface of each lug, see Figures 2 and 3.

Auxiliary handles 4343 are mounted on each end wall II in mounting plates 44-44 formed with stops, such as parrot noses 45-45. These handles are useful to hold the cabinet suspended after the side panels l8 and 19 are extended, thereby permitting the U-shaped members 34 and 35 to drop by gravity into supporting position and also said locking bails to likewise drop by gravity into locking position. Gravity action of the members 34 and 35 and the locking bails 4i! and 4| is made more efficient by slightly weighting the loops of these respective elements to in crease the dropping force of the same.

Operation To use my present invention the same is carried as shown in Figure 1 by the U-shaped members 34 and 35 with the panels I8 and i9 folded down against the side walls l2-l2 of the cabinet A. Now when the unit is to be set up for use the panels I8 and I9 are raised to the extended positions shown in Figure 2 and the U-shaped members 34 and 3'5 are released to drop by gravity. It is of course understood that the auxiliary handles 43 serve to permit the container to be held high enough above the ground surface so the members 34 and 35 will drop downwardly until stopped by the flat surface of each lug 38 and 39. Following this the locking bails 40 and 4| are released and drop by gravity into the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. These bails are formed so as to frictionally bind against the sides of the container A in their uppermost position, but such frictional contact is for only a small fractional part of the downward swing.

Any use of the device after the same is set up in this manner is optional. For example, if it is used as a lunch kit with the insulated cabinet serving as a food or soft drink holder, the top 28 may be swung up as shown in Figure 2, and the food and drinks removed and placed upon the extended side panels.

Without further description it is believed that the foregoing describes my present invention in sufficient detail for others to practice the same when duly licensed to do so. Also, while the foregoing specification describes and the drawings illustrate the specific details of only one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is not limited by these details and is therefore susceptible to changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims without a departure from the concept of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A container having bottom, side and end walls, a pair of panels having side flanges, said flanges being pivoted to said end walls adjacent the top of said container thereby permitting said panels to extend from the sides of said container in alignment with the top thereof, rigid U-shaped members pivoted to the end walls adjacent the bottom of said container, said members each having outwardly offset portions serving in one position to converge together as handle means and in another position to diverge apart as container supporting means, and locking members pivoted to said side walls adjacent the bottom of said container, said locking members havi'ng portions adapted to embrace said U-shaped members adjacent their respective pivoted ends when said U-shaped members are in container supporting position with said offset portions in diverged apart position upon a supporting surface.

2. A container having bottom, side and end walls, a pair of panels having side flanges, said flanges being pivoted to said end walls adjacent the top of said container thereby permitting said panels to extend from the sides of said container in alignment with the top thereof, means pivoted to the end walls adjacent the bottom of said container, said means serving in one pivoted position as handle means and in another pivoted position as container supporting means, and locking members pivoted to said side walls at opposite points adjacent the bottom of the container surrounding each of said end walls, said locking members each com-prising a bail for embracing a portion of said means pivoted to the end walls when said means is serving as a support for the container.

3. A container having bottom, side and end walls, a pair of panels having side flanges, said fianges being pivoted to said end walls adjacent the top of said container thereby permitting said panels to extend from the sides of said container in alignment with the top thereof, means pivoted to the end walls adjacent the bottom of said container, said means serving in one position as handle means and in another position as container supporting means, means pivoted adjacent the bottom of said container to said side walls, said last-named means embracing a portion of said first-named means when said means is serving as a support, and stop means secured to each end wall adjacent the bottom of said container and the respective peripheral edge of each end wall, whereby when said first-named means is serving as a support said stop means coact with said second means to lock said first means in supporting position. v

JAMES KUHNS. 

